Netanyahu claims ‘historic victory,’ says ‘we sent Iran’s nuclear program down the drain’ – The Times of Israel
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
White House Reacts After Intel Assessment Contradicts Trump on Iran Strikes
CNN, The New York Times and other media outlets reported that an early assessment by U.S. intelligence said military strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend failed to destroy key elements of Iran’s nuclear program. The assessment also found that the strikes only set Iran’snuclear program back by a few months, contradicting President Donald Trump’s claim that they “obliterated” the nuclear facilities. The White House issued a scathing statement after the reports. The intelligence assessment relied on came from the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon’s main intelligence arm. The full extent of the damage is not known, but the White House has acknowledged the existence of the assessment, and their statement is included in our story. The president also tore into the media’s reporting, writing in an all-caps Truth Social post on Tuesday night: “FAKE NEWS CNN, TOGETHER WITH THE FAILING NEW YORK TIMES, HAVE TEAMED UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO DEMEAN ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MILITARY STRIKES IN HISTORY”
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The White House issued a scathing statement after CNN, The New York Times and other media outlets reported that an early assessment by U.S. intelligence said military strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend failed to destroy key elements of Iran’s nuclear program.
The assessment also found that the strikes only set Iran’s nuclear program back by a few months, contradicting President Donald Trump’s claim that the strikes “obliterated” the nuclear facilities.
Meanwhile, an early Israeli intelligence assessment determined that the U.S.’s strikes set Iran’s nuclear capabilities back by “several years,” according to The Times of Israel. The reported assessment came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that “we sent Iran’s nuclear program down the drain.”
Why It Matters
Trump’s decision to authorize the U.S. strikes came after Israel launched a series of missile strikes on Iran that decimated the country’s military chain of command and nuclear infrastructure. Israel’s strikes threw a wrench into Iran and the United States’ diplomatic efforts toward reaching a new nuclear deal.
On Saturday, the U.S. entered the conflict by dropping 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs, known as “bunker busters,” and more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at three Iranian nuclear sites. The Trump administration said the strikes destroyed Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, but the full extent of the damage is not known.
What To Know
“This alleged assessment is flat-out wrong and was classified as ‘top secret’ but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN in response to the outlet’s reporting.
“The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program,” Leavitt added. “Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration.”
President Donald Trump speaks with reporters on Air Force One while heading to a NATO summit in the Netherlands on June 24, 2025. President Donald Trump speaks with reporters on Air Force One while heading to a NATO summit in the Netherlands on June 24, 2025. Alex Brandon/AP
The president also tore into the media’s reporting, writing in an all-caps Truth Social post on Tuesday night: “FAKE NEWS CNN, TOGETHER WITH THE FAILING NEW YORK TIMES, HAVE TEAMED UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO DEMEAN ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MILITARY STRIKES IN HISTORY. THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED! BOTH THE TIIMES AND CNN ARE GETTING SLAMMED BY THE PUBLIC!”
Leavitt, Trump and the MAGA base have been bitterly critical of the way mainstream media outlets have reported on intelligence community assessments in unfavorable stories. At times, that skepticism has been well-founded.
A four-part Columbia Journalism Review investigation of coverage of the Russia probe during Trump’s first term found “serious flaws” in the media’s reporting and quoted the legendary Washington Post editor Bob Woodward as saying readers and viewers had been “cheated.”
A CNN spokesperson said in a statement after its story was published: “CNN stands by our thorough reporting on an early intelligence assessment of the recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, which has since been confirmed by other news organizations. The White House has acknowledged the existence of the assessment, and their statement is included in our story.”
The intelligence assessment CNN and other outlets relied on came from the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon’s main intelligence arm. The DIA’s findings are said to be based on U.S. Central Command’s battle damage assessment of the U.S.’s strikes against Iran’s three main nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan over the weekend.
The CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) declined to comment to the Associated Press on the DIA’s assessment. The ODNI oversees the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, including the DIA, which is also tasked with analyzing foreign military forces and adversarial capabilities.
After announcing the strikes, Trump wrote on social media that the U.S. had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program.
He reiterated his comments on Tuesday, telling reporters: “I think it’s been completely demolished…Those pilots hit their targets. Those targets were obliterated, and the pilots should be given credit.”
What People Are Saying
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told CNN: “Based on everything we have seen — and I’ve seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons. Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target and worked perfectly. The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission.”
Retired Army Brigadier General Steve Anderson told CNN on Tuesday: “The assessment is what we expected but what scares me about the whole incident is the politicization of our national intelligence. It’s so sad to see Secretary Hegseth and Karoline Leavitt and others try to align our national security apparatus and intelligence apparatus with what the president said earlier. If that’s not true, we need to know it. If our enemy is 10 feet tall and bullet proof, we need to know this.”
He continued: “You’re still trying to penetrate 300 feet of hardened concrete, and these bombs have never been used before. While significant damage was no doubt achieved, total obliteration is totally laughable.”
Vice Adm. Bradley Cooper, the deputy commander of CENTCOM and Trump’s nominee to lead the agency, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that Iran still retains “considerable” capabilities, adding: “At the tactical level, I think they’ve been degraded. I think the degree to which that degradation has taken place, particularly in the last 12 days, is best discussed in a classified forum.”
When asked directly whether Iran still poses a threat to U.S. troops in the region, Cooper responded: “They possess considerable tactical capability, one element of which we saw yesterday, which we thwarted in defense of Al Udeid. We’ve got to be in a three-point stance, ready to go, every single day.”
What Happens Next
Trump announced on Monday that Iran and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire, but both countries accused each other of violating the agreement within hours of it taking effect. Meanwhile, Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian both claimed victory in the 12-day conflict.
Netanyahu described it as a “historic victory” for Israel in a televised address, saying that the outcome would “stand for generations.”
Pezeshkian told Iranian state media that his country had also gained a “historic victory” in the fight, which he said was “imposed” on Iran by Israel. He added that the ceasefire deal is a triumph for Iran’s national sovereignty and praised the “heroic resistance” of the Iranian people.
Update 6/24/25, 3:55 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 6/24/25, 5:09 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and remarks.
Update 6/24/25, 5:21 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and remarks.
Update 6/24/25, 5:42 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and remarks.
Update 6/24/25 6:14 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and remarks.
Update 6/24/25 9:38 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and remarks.
Israel-Iran war LIVE updates | Netanyahu claims ‘historic victory’ against Iran, thanks Trump
Israel-Iran war news LIVE updates. The war between Israel and Iran has now entered its second week. The latest round of open hostilities began after a series of Israeli air raids on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. The initial attacks triggered Iranian retaliation, subsequently leading to a significant escalation on both sides.
On Saturday (Jun 21) the United States entered the Israel-Iran war, striking three nuclear sites in Iran -Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. This comes just a day after US President Donald Trump on Friday (Jun 20) warned that Iran had a “maximum” of two weeks to avoid possible American air strikes. He said that he was not inclined to stop Israel attacking Iran because it was “winning,” and said that “I’m giving them (Tehran) a period of time, and I would say two weeks would be the maximum.”
What are Israel and Iran fighting about?
The ongoing conflict is the most direct confrontation between Israel and Iran in recent years. The two nations have a history of geopolitical tensions. The ongoing war has at its root Iran’s nuclear programme, which Israel views as an existential threat, claiming it’s a cover for building a bomb—something Tehran denies.
Follow WION’s live coverage of the Israel-Iran war here:
Netanyahu: ‘We Sent Iran’s Nuclear Program Down the Drain’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says U.S. President Donald Trump “enlisted in an unprecedented fashion” Netanyahu thanks Trump for “his part in defending Israel, and removing the Iranian nuclear threat” Netanyahu says Israel also destroyed Iran’s ballistic missile production program and most of its launchers. He says Israel will open an “axis of prosperity and peace of the nations of the region” and beyond. The video comes hours after a livid Trump blasted Israel for violating the ceasefire with Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump “enlisted in an unprecedented fashion,” Netanyahu says, and thanks him for “his part in defending Israel, and removing the Iranian nuclear threat.”
Netanyahu says the historic development — U.S. striking Iran in support of Israel — is “the fruit of a diplomatic campaign he led with [Strategic Affairs] Minister Ron Dermer.”
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“Israel has never had a friend like President Trump in the White House, and I thank him greatly for our joint work,” says Netanyahu, hours after a livid Trump blasted Israel for violating the ceasefire with Iran.
U.S. forces “destroyed” the underground Fordo enrichment site, he says, adding that “we sent Iran’s nuclear program down the drain.”
“If someone, if someone in Iran tries to restore that program, we will act with the same determination, the same power, to cut off any such attempt,” says Netanyahu.
“I repeat – Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.”
Netanyahu boasts that Israel also destroyed Iran’s ballistic missile production program and most of its launchers.
Israel also “landed crushing blows on the evil regime” itself. He lauds the attack on Iran early this morning, before the ceasefire took effect, the same massive strike Trump raged against in front of the cameras this morning. He says Israel landed “the most severe blow in [the regime’s] history.”
Turning to Gaza, Netanyahu says, “We must defeat Hamas and bring back the hostages.”
Looking to the future, Netanyahu says that — with Iran’s axis in tatters — Israel will open an “axis of prosperity and peace of the nations of the region” and beyond.
US strikes ‘set back Iran’s nuclear progress by months’ — as it happened
CNN reports that US bombing of Iran did not completely destroy its nuclear facilities. The White House has called the claims ‘ flat-out wrong’ The New York Times has disputed the White House’s claims of a ‘spectacular military success’ of US attacks on Iran. Israel has accused Iran of breaching the truce by launching missile attacks. Tehran denies the claims. UK, France and Germany say it is now ‘time for diplomacy’ after a ceasefire was agreed between Israel and Iran. A poll taken after the ceasefire has shown a small increase in support for Binyamin Netanyahu and his Lik party, according to the Times of Israel. The poll predicted that Lik would take four seats in the 120-seat Knesset — up from four from pre-war polls — but not enough for him and his party to form a coalition. Almost four in ten Israelis said they would prefer Netanyahu as prime minister. The US ambassador to the United Nations, Dorothy Shea, told the UN security council that strikes “effectively fulfilled our narrow objective’.
Mark Rutte, Nato secretary-general, says it is ‘no problem’ that Trump shared his private message of praise on social media
The US bombing of Iran did not completely destroy its nuclear facilities , according to an intelligence assessment reported by CNN. The White House has called the claims ‘ flat-out wrong
US media ‘flat-out wrong about strikes on Iran’
The White House has further defended its strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities after US media reported that they have only set back Tehran’s nuclear ambitions by a few months.
Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, confirmed the authenticity of the assessment cited by CNN and the New York Times, but said the publications were “flat-out wrong”.
“The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear programme,” Leavitt posted on X.
“Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration.”
Netanyahu: Israel achieved historic victory
Binyamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister thanks President Trump and the US for their part in the defence of Israel
Israel intercepts two drones
Israel’s military has said it has intercepted two drones heading towards the country, “most likely from Iran”.
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New York Times disputes White House claims of ‘success’ in Iran
The New York Times has disputed the White House’s claims of a “spectacular military success” of US attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend.
The American newspaper has made claims similar to CNN. It has reported that, according to preliminary intelligence, US airstrikes on Iran have not destroyed the nation’s nuclear capability and only set its nuclear programme back by a few months.
UK, France and Germany: Time for diplomacy after ceasefire
President Macron of France, left, Friedrich Merz, German chancellor, and Sir Keir Starmer at the Nato summit in the Hague today LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP
Sir Keir Starmer and the leaders of France and Germany said that it was now “time for diplomacy” after a ceasefire was agreed between Israel and Iran.
Starmer met with President Macron of France and Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, at the Nato summit in the Hague today.
“The leaders reflected on the volatile situation in the Middle East,” Starmer’s office said in a statement after the meeting. “Now was the time for diplomacy and for Iran to come to the negotiating table, they agreed.”
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US objective in Iran ‘effectively fulfilled’
American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities “effectively fulfilled our narrow objective: to degrade Iran’s capacity to produce a nuclear weapon”, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Dorothy Shea, told the UN security council.
Iran will not have nuclear weapons, says Israeli PM
In a recorded televised address to the state, the Israeli prime minister said “we sent Iran’s nuclear programme down the drain” and that Israel would carry out further attacks if Tehran tried to build nuclear weapons.
“If someone in Iran tries to restore that programme, we will act with the same determination, the same power, to cut off any such attempt,” said Netanyahu.
“I repeat — Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.”
Netanyahu popularity on the up after ceasefire, poll predicts
A poll taken after the ceasefire between Israel and Iran has shown a small increase in support for Binyamin Netanyahu and his Likud party, according to the Times of Israel.
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The poll, conducted among Israelis by Channel 12, has predicted that Likud would take 26 seats in the 120-seat Knesset — up four from prewar polls — but not enough for him and his coalition to form a majority.
Almost four in ten Israelis said they would prefer Netanyahu as prime minister.
However, the Times of Israel says any increase in support for Netanyahu and Likud comes at the expense of his present coalition partners, potentially scuppering any early election plans.
US airstrikes ‘did not destroy Tehran’s nuclear programme’
Satellite images of Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility after it was bombed by the US SATELLITE IMAGE ©2025 MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES/AFP
CNN has reported that, according to an early US intelligence assessment, the American strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend did not destroy the core components of Tehran’s nuclear programme, and probably only set it back by months.
It drew an angry response from the White House. “This alleged assessment is flat-out wrong,” Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said.
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Netanyahu praises ‘best friend Trump’
Binyamin Netanyahu says Israel has “achieved a great victory” which will stand for generations.
In a televised address, the Israeli prime minister also claimed that Israel had never had a better friend in the White House than President Trump.
Israel ‘stunned’ by Trump’s swearing outburst
Israeli leaders were “stunned” and “embarrassed” by President Trump’s angry broadside today when he claimed Israel and Iran “don’t know what the f*** they’re doing”, according to NBC News.
A senior official told the broadcaster: “They were surprised that he went and did all that in such a public way and basically switched on them very quickly.”
Israel ‘will respect peace deal as long as Iran does’
Israel Katz, the Israeli defence minister, has told Pete Hegseth, his US counterpart, that Israel will respect the ceasefire with Iran as long as Tehran does.
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In a message posted on X, Katz also praised President Trump’s “bold decision”.
“I emphasized that Israel will respect the ceasefire — as long as the other side does,” Katz wrote. “We agreed to deepen the close US-Israel security co-operation.”
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US president leaves Air Force One
Trump descended the steps of Air Force One just before 8pm local time, wearing a white baseball cap emblazoned with “USA” as he was met by officials.
Trump arrives in Amsterdam
President Trump arrives at Schiphol airport, Amsterdam PETER DEJONG/AP
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP
President Trump has touched down in Schiphol airport, Amsterdam, as he prepares to attend the Nato conference in the Hague.
‘Ceasefire is Iranian victory’
President Pezeshkian of Iran has congratulated the Iranian people for a “great victory” following the fragile ceasefire with Israel.
Media in Iran reported that Pezeshkian told the nation that “terrorist” Israel had started the war and Iran had ended it successfully.
US president sharing private texts is ‘no problem’, says Rutte
Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary-general, has told reporters that he has “no problem” with President Trump disclosing his private text message to the world.
In the text, Rutte lavished praise on the US president, saying he has achieved “something NO American president in decades could get done”.
The US leader is currently on his way to the Hague for a two-day Nato summit where alliance members are expected to heed Trump’s calls to increase defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP.
More than 40 Palestinians killed near aid points in Gaza
The Palestinian Civil Defence said more than 40 people were killed on their way to receive food at distribution sites today.
Overall, 21 people were killed and about 150 people were wounded by Israeli fire near an aid point in central Gaza. Another 25 were killed at a separate aid site in the south of the strip, Mahmud Bassal, a civil defence spokesman, told the AFP news agency.
More than 400 people have been killed while seeking aid since May 27, according to the UN.
“Every day we face this scenario: martyrs, injuries, in unbearable numbers,” Ziad Farhat, a paramedic, told AFP at Nasser hospital in southern Gaza.
Iran not seeking nuclear weapons, says president
President Pezeshkian of Iran said his country was not seeking nuclear weapons but would continue to defend its “legitimate rights”.
“We expect you to explain to them, in your dealings with the United States, that the Islamic Republic of Iran is only seeking to assert its legitimate rights,” Pezeshkian said during a phone call with President Mohammed bin Zayed of the UAE, according to the IRNA state-funded news agency.
He added that Iran was “ready to resolve the issues … at the negotiating table”.
Iran’s military strength factor in ceasefire, says retired commander
Iran has sought to frame the ceasefire as proof its military capabilities were powerful enough to compel the US to withdraw from the conflict.
General Hossein Alaei, a retired commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps naval division, told the state news agency IRNA that Iran has not only withstood Israeli attacks but has also successfully targeted Israel and launched a counterattack on a US base in Qatar.
“In this context, the warmongering Trump opted for a ceasefire to rein in the bloodthirsty [Binyamin] Netanyahu,” he stated.
Starmer: Ceasefire opportunity to stabilise Middle East
Sir Keir Starmer has described the Israel-Iran ceasefire as “an opportunity to secure much-needed stability in the Middle East”.
“The ceasefire between Iran and Israel must hold,” the prime minister posted on X before a Nato summit being held in the Hague over the next two days.
Starmer added: “Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and they must now return to the table and work towards a lasting settlement. That’s the message that I’m discussing with other leaders at Nato today.”
Stage set for Sánchez-Trump showdown
As President Trump flies to the Hague for a two-day Nato summit, Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s socialist prime minister, may have found a saviour in the US leader.
Sánchez is desperately seeking a distraction from corruption allegations threatening to topple his minority government. The US president looks set to oblige him with a “Zelensky moment” dust-up.
Before the summit, Sánchez claimed he was granted an opt-out from Trump over his demand that alliance members reach a new defence spending target of 5 per cent of GDP.
Setting the stage for a showdown, Trump told reporters on Air Force One on his way to the conference: “There’s a problem with Spain. Spain is not agreeing, which is very unfair to the rest of them, frankly.” The US president last week stated that “Spain has to pay what everybody else has to pay”.
Congressman nominates Trump for Nobel peace prize
A US member of Congress has nominated President Trump for a Nobel peace prize.
Buddy Carter, a Republican representative for the state of Georgia, wrote to the Nobel peace prize committee, declaring Trump had an “extraordinary and historic role” in ending “the armed conflict between Israel and Iran and preventing the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism from obtaining the most lethal weapon on the planet”.
Carter added: “President Trump’s influence was instrumental in forging a swift agreement that many believed to be impossible. President Trump also took bold, decisive actions to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions and ensure that the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism remains incapable of acquiring a nuclear weapon.”
Trump has frequently suggested he should receive the prize, while criticising Barack Obama for winning one in 2009, after less than eight months in office.
Could Trump win a Nobel peace prize? How he brokered ceasefire
Trump ‘honoured’ to strike Iran’s nuclear sites
President Trump said it was his “honour” to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, “and then, STOP THE WAR”.
In his latest Truth Social post, the US president wrote: “Both Israel and Iran wanted to stop the War, equally! It was my great honor to Destroy All Nuclear facilities & capability, and then, STOP THE WAR!”
Oil prices sink after ceasefire shows signs of holding
Stock markets rallied and oil prices sank across the board today as the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran showed signs of holding.
In volatile trading, crude futures slumped by more than 5 per cent after President Trump announced a peace deal. “This morning’s ceasefire further reduced the perceived threat to Middle Eastern oil supply routes,” David Morrison, analyst at Trade Nation, told AFP.
Wall Street also appeared to welcome the calming in international relations, with the Dow Jones stock market up by close to 1 per cent in early trading, while the Nasdaq index was up by about 1.3 per cent.
Paris and Frankfurt were sharply higher in afternoon deals, but London’s gains were limited as shares in Shell and BP fell on the lower crude prices.
US strikes on Iran ‘showed Trump wasn’t playing games’
America’s strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities on Sunday ultimately created the conditions for ending Tehran’s war with Israel, a White House official has reportedly said.
Despite widespread fears the US attack on three nuclear sites in Iran could spark a wider regional war, a White House official told Axios news website the strikes using massive “bunker-busting” bombs showed the Iranians “Trump wasn’t playing games”.
Before and after Iran’s response — it targeted America’s Al Udeid airbase in Qatar on Monday — Tehran is believed to have sent Washington back-channel messages to minimise the damage of the retaliation and to tell them when the operation was complete. Iran is said to have initially refused to negotiate a ceasefire until it was able to exact revenge.
Qatar acted as a mediator between Iran and the US and Israel, The New York Times reported, with Trump’s abrupt announcement of the truce on social media taking even his closest advisers by surprise.
Trump ‘told Israel to turn back bombers’
President Trump has suggested he prevented Israel from undertaking a “raid” on Iran after a ceasefire was agreed.
Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, he said: “Israel … didn’t do that raid this morning, fortunately … They had a lot of planes going [to Iran] and they were going to do something and they didn’t do it.”
Trump claimed he spoke to Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, and told him to “turn back the planes”.
Instead of Iran producing nuclear weapons, Trump said he was confident Iran would “get on to being a great trading nation”, taking advantage of their oil reserves. “Iranians are very good traders, very good business people and they have a lot of oil.”
Iran will stick to ceasefire ‘if Israel does the same’
Iran’s president has said he will respect President Trump’s ceasefire if Israel does the same.
“If [Israel] does not violate the ceasefire, Iran will not violate it either,” President Pezeshkian said during a phone conversation with Anwar Ibrahim, the Malaysian prime minister, according to the presidency’s website.
Trump shares ‘private message from Nato chief Mark Rutte’
President Trump has shared what appears to be a text message from Nato’s secretary-general on his Truth Social platform.
In the message, Mark Rutte lavishes praise on the US president, saying he has achieved “something NO American president in decades could get done”.
The US leader is currently on his way to the Hague for a two-day Nato summit where alliance members are expected to heed Trump’s calls to increase defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP.
“You are flying into another big success in the Hague this evening. It was not easy but we’ve got them all signed onto 5 per cent!” Rutte is purported to have told Trump.
“Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe and the world. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done.”
More than 600 killed in Iran since war started
At least 610 people have been killed and more than 4,700 wounded in Iran since the start of the war with Israel, the Iranian health ministry spokesman has said.
Among the casualties reported since June 13 are 13 children, five doctors and several rescue workers. “Hospitals have been confronted with extremely harrowing scenes” Hossein Kermanpour posted on X. “They are all civilians.”
Further reports by the ministry claimed seven hospitals and nine ambulances had also been damaged in the strikes.
Iran’s attacks on Israel have killed 28 people and left more than 2,100 injured, according to official figures.
US president heads to Hague for Nato summit
The world will be a “much calmer” place, President Trump has said on Truth Social as he heads into a two-day Nato summit in the Hague.
“Heading to Nato where, at worst, it will be a much calmer period than what I just went through with Israel and Iran,” Trump said.
“I look forward to seeing all of my very good European friends, and others. Hopefully, much will be accomplished!”
Nato allies’ plans for Trump: keep it simple and don’t let him blow up
Beersheba attack hit former Soviet migrant district
Among the victims of an Iranian ballistic missile strike that killed five people in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba were a woman and a man in their forties and a man in his early twenties, emergency services said. Three storeys of the building collapsed, firefighters said.
The attack took place in a district of the desert city with a large community of people from the former Soviet Union. At a shop selling products from Lithuania, Moldova and Ukraine, customers listened to the latest news from a Russian-language Israeli television station.
“I was at home when the missile hit and I was absolutely terrified,” said Olga, who moved to Israel from Moldova more than 20 years ago. “The Iranians will need to try and show to their people that they won, so I’m not sure we will see a final peace today. But it’s coming very soon.”
Tentative hope ceasefire will now hold
There appears to be reason to hope a ceasefire brokered by President Trump between Iran and Israel is back on track — for now.
Both sides had confirmed their agreement to a bilateral ceasefire by around 7.30am UK time. About an hour later, Israel accused Iran of violating the truce by reportedly aiming two ballistic missiles at Israel, something Tehran denied. Israeli politicians immediately vowed to respond, before Israel said it had struck an Iranian radar system.
Around noon, a seemingly furious Trump promised to “see if I can stop” the ceasefire from unravelling and is believed to have had a very frank phone conversation with Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister.
Netanyahu’s office has now issued a statement saying it “refrained from further attacks” after the attack on Iran’s radar array north of Tehran, giving Trump “confidence in the stability of the ceasefire”.
Ceasefire’s impact on Iran, Israel, Gaza and Trump
“Rising Lion” was Israel’s third major war in two years, and its shortest, at just 12 days. The end of the conflict and ceasefire announced with much fanfare by President Trump on Monday night lasted even less time.
With so much uncertainty and events on Tuesday morning doing much to threaten, once again, any prospect of peace, Iran has emerged from the seismic events of the past fortnight much diminished, yet unbroken.
If the goal of the operation was to dismantle Iran’s nuclear programme, it appears to have failed. Iran’s facilities have been heavily damaged or destroyed, but they can be rebuilt.
• What does the ceasefire mean for Iran, Israel, Gaza and Trump?
Beersheba attack ‘outrageous and extremely painful’
President Herzog on Tuesday ERIK MARMOR/GETTY IMAGES
Iran used a 400kg “Ghader” missile to fire at Beersheba in southern Israel this morning in a deadly strike just before the tenuous ceasefire began, Israel’s president claimed.
Speaking at the scene of the attack, which killed four people who were sheltering in safe rooms, and injured dozens more, President Herzog called the attack “outrageous”’and “painful”.
“What we’ve seen here is outrageous and extremely painful. That missile, which is one of the heaviest missiles in the Iranian arsenal, way above 400kg, landed here specifically to kill women, children, the elderly, people living ordinary lives. It demolished a kindergarten school, demolished apartments and unfortunately, had a heavy toll of four innocent civilians. I want to express my heartfelt condolences to the families,” Herzog told press gathered at the scene.
“This is a terrible loss, and it shows exactly who we are facing. We are facing an evil enemy which has decided simply to destroy and hurt and kill.”
Iran is ‘targeting Israeli civilians’
There was just an hour to go before the Iran-Israel ceasefire was due to come into force when an ballistic missile slammed into a seven-storey block of flats in Beersheba, a desert town in southern Israel, killing at least five people and injuring ten others.
The missile ripped off the entire side of the building, mangling concrete and steel. The blast wave shattered windows several streets away and badly damaged parked vehicles in scenes that have become grimly familiar to Israelis over the past 12 days. The deaths were the first in Israel since June 16 and brought the number of fatalities to 28.
“The Iranian regime is targeting our civilians. There’s no military installation right here. There’s nothing of the security apparatus,” said an Israeli Defence Forces spokesman next to the epicentre of the blast. The Times could not immediately verify the claim,but there were no obvious military targets in the neighbourhood.
Trump warned Netanyahu ‘exceptionally firmly’
President Trump at the White House before heading to the Nato summit EVAN VUCCI/AP
President Trump has spoken to Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, in an “exceptionally firm and direct way”, a White House official told Axios news website.
A phone call is believed to have taken place between the two leaders after Israel accused Iran of violating a US-brokered ceasefire.
“The president told Netanyahu what needed to happen to sustain the ceasefire. The prime minister understood the severity of the situation and the concerns President Trump expressed,” the official said.
I knew about US plans to bomb Iran, Starmer insists
The prime minister arrives in the Netherlands for the Nato summit KIN CHEUNG//GETTY
Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he was kept informed “at all stages” of US plans to bomb Iran amid questions over what Britain knew before the strikes.
The prime minister told reporters President Trump was a “close ally” and said the pair “work together”.
He said he called a Cobra meeting when he returned from the G7 in Canada because “I obviously wanted to take necessary measures should there be American action taken”.
He said: “My first step on getting back was to cover all eventualities including the eventuality of a US attack.
“We had then been talking to the US all of last week into the attack on Saturday. We were kept informed at all stages of what they were doing and working as allies as you’d expect.”
Starmer leaves door open to tax hikes for defence
Sir Keir Starmer has left the door open to tax rises to pay for defence funding after the next election as he said defending Britain must come before all else.
The prime minister said it was “pretty obvious we’re living in volatile times, probably more volatile than most of us have lived through recently, and we have entered a new era for defense and security”.
Asked whether he would need to raise taxes to meet the new Nato commitment of 5 per cent of GDP, the prime minister said his manifesto at the last election included commitments not to raise taxes on working people.
However the government had already said it would not set out how the full funding would be settled until after the next election, which would bring with it a new manifesto.
Starmer said: “Every time we’ve set out our defence spending commitments, so when we went to 2.5 per cent in 2027/28, we set out precisely how we would pay for it, that didn’t involve tax rises.”
He added: “Clearly we’ve got commitments in our manifesto about not making tax rises on working people and we will stick to our manifesto commitments.”
Starmer: Difference between civil nuclear and weapons
The level of uranium Iran should be allowed to keep for civil purposes must be distinguished from that it could use for nuclear weapons, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
Speaking to reporters as he arrived in The Hague for the Nato summit, he said: “Our consistent position is that they shouldn’t have nuclear weapons, and therefore any enrichment that is inconsistent with … having nuclear weapons is obviously something we support.
“Whatever the level is for a civil programme is a different matter, but we’ve got to distinguish between the two.”
Trump backtracks on Iranian regime change
President Trump has taken to his Truth Social platform, insisting Iran will “NEVER REBUILD THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES”.
Later in the morning, he told reporters Iran was “not going to have a nuclear weapon”, adding: “It’s the last thing on their mind right now”.
After previously making conflicting remarks on the issue, Trump also said he did not “want to see regime change in Iran”, saying “regime change makes chaos”.
Israelis downbeat on ceasefire hopes
The Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, speaks outside an apartment building hit by an Iranian missile in Beersheba ERIK MARMOR/GETTY
Residents of a neighbourhood in southern Israel that was struck early this morning by an Iranian ballistic missile were pessimistic that today’s ceasefire deal would last.
“I don’t trust the Iranians,” Arkady, an elderly man in the city of Beersheba, told The Times. “I hope that they have also enough of this now, but we will see.”
Another local, Eduard, said that he had been in his apartment block’s shelter when the missile hit a nearby building, killing at least four people. “The room shook like jelly,” he said. “I hope that this was the last time we will see this kind of attack, but I am worried that it is not so simple to stop a war. The Iranians need to choose what they want now.”
He was speaking shortly after Israel accused Iran of violating the ceasefire by launching missiles towards northern Israel and promised a tough response. Tehran denied the claim.
Despite the uncertainty, a group of Australian holidaymakers who had been stranded in Tel Aviv by the war toasted the ceasefire deal with early morning glasses of prosecco.
Trump is ‘frustrated’, House speaker admits
Trump swears over ceasefire breach
Mike Johnson, the speaker of the US House of Representatives, spoke to President Trump shortly after he expressed frustration outside the White House at the violation of the ceasefire.
Johnson, a close ally of Trump, told Fox News the president was “frustrated”. “Everybody just saw that demonstrated. We all are, right? This ceasefire is fragile,” he said.
Asked about a report by Reuters, which said Mohammad Eslami, the Iranian nuclear chief, has claimed arrangements have been made to restore the country’s nuclear programme already, Johnson said this is “madness”.
“I mean, we’re under no illusion that you can just kill all their nuclear ambition overnight. But I think reality has set in over there. We have decimated the upper echelon of their military command, as well as their nuclear scientists. I mean, there’s not much left for them to rebuild upon,” he said.
“But the idea that they would put out a statement like that at this fragile moment is very frustrating. It goes to show you why Iran has always been an irrational actor. They’re not to be trusted, but we’ve got to use force.”
Explosions in Tehran
Two explosions have been heard north of Tehran, according to Mizan, the news outlet of Iran’s judiciary, and the newspaper Shargh.
Israeli officials have confirmed that their air force has carried out a small strike against a radar station in northern Tehran, according to the Times of Israel. The attack on Iran was said to be in response to Iran’s alleged launch of two ballistic missiles shortly after a ceasefire was confirmed.
Trump insists ceasefire is in effect
President Trump has taken to Truth Social again, saying Israel is “not going to attack Iran”, following reports he has spoken with Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister.
“ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran,” he wrote. “All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!”
Trump has held a telephone call with Netanyahu, according to Israeli media. Despite Trump’s insistence that Israel will not attack Iran, however, Israeli officials have suggested that a “symbolic” attack is likely.
The flimsiness of previous Trump truces
President Trump’s trip to the Hague for a two-day Nato summit was expected to be his victory lap for brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
If Trump manages to salvage the truce, it could go down as one of his biggest foreign policy achievements yet. If the ceasefire falls apart, it could add to the series of conflicts the US president has vowed to solve, with little long-term success.
On the campaign trail, he promised to end the war between Ukraine and Russia “in 24 hours”, but now re-installed in the White House, his attempts to broker a ceasefire have failed. Before his inauguration, he took credit for the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but that deal collapsed after two months.
Starmer: We need to get back to ceasefire
Sir Keir Starmer has urged Israel and Iran to “get back” to a ceasefire.
“The sooner we get back to that [the ceasefire], the better,” the prime minister said as he arrived in the Netherlands for a two-day Nato summit. “And that’s the message that I’m discussing with other leaders today.
“We need to get back to that ceasefire, which is consistent with what I’ve been saying about de-escalation for quite some time now.”
Trump’s fury at Israel and Iran
During his remarks to reporters outside the White House, President Trump expressed fury at Iran and Israel, saying: “They don’t know what the f*** they’re doing.”
“I’m gonna see if I can stop it. These guys had better calm down. I didn’t like that Israel unloaded right after we made the deal. I’m not happy about that.” He also criticised Iranian strikes. “I’m really unhappy if Israel is going out this morning. I think they both violated.”
He also criticised TV networks for questioning whether Saturday strikes had destroyed Iran’s nuclear programmes. “I think CNN ought to apologise to the pilots of the B2s,” he said.
Trump orders Israel ‘not to drop bombs’
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, President Trump appeared to single out Israel for having “unloaded right after they agreed to a ceasefire”.
While he previously said both sides were to blame for violations of the ceasefire, Trump also took to his Truth Social platform to warn Israel not to “DROP THOSE BOMBS”.
“ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!” his social media post read.
Trump lashes out at Iran and Israel
President Trump has blamed both Iran and Israel for breaking the ceasefire he helped broker.
He said he is “not happy” with Israel and Iran, before adding he is “really unhappy” with Israel.
European leaders back Trump ceasefire
World leaders including Macron, Trump and Merz in Canada earlier this month ALAMY
European leaders urged Iran and Israel to abide by the ceasefire amid growing concerns it has already collapsed.
President Macron said the “situation clearly remains volatile and unstable”, but told reporters in Norway it was a “very good thing President Trump is calling for a ceasefire”.
Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, said conflict with Iran must not be allowed to plunge the region into war. Speaking ahead of a Nato summit in the Hague today, Merz said: “Not only Israel, but also Europe and the world as a whole are threatened by this Iranian nuclear programme.”
He urged both sides to “follow” the ceasefire.
Qatar ‘surprised’ over Iranian attack
Qatar has warned against further “outrageous attacks” after Iran targeted a US base outside Doha.
The prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said he and regional partners were “surprised” by attacks by a “neighbourly and brotherly country”, adding that “many outrageous attacks on various countries” could lead “the region to a more difficult situation”.
On an increasingly fragile ceasefire between Iran and Israel, the prime minister told reporters that he hoped Israel’s prime minister would not “take advantage” of the truce to keep attacking Gaza.
Doha was asked by the US to put President Trump’s ceasefire proposal to Iran, he added.
The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, expressed regret in a phone call with Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, that Tehran’s target in retaliation for US strikes was a military base in Qatar, the prime minister said.
Iranian rocket ‘fired at northern Israel’
The Israeli embassy in the UK released a picture of what it alleges to be an Iranian missile fired at northern Israel during the US-brokered ceasefire.
Local media reported that Iran launched two ballistic missiles at Israel after agreeing to the truce.
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Wary calm descends on Tel Aviv
Beachgoers in a Tel Aviv bomb shelter on Monday MAYA LEVIN/AFP/GETTY
In Tel Aviv, residents stepped outside their homes this morning, uncertain of whether a new ceasefire would hold. While cafes, offices and schools remained closed, some urged Israel to continue the fight.
“Israel should keep going — down to the bone,” Avi, a lifeguard and father of two, told The Times. “For our children, or else this will go on forever, like we have with Gaza and Hamas. We need to finish it once and for all.”
Others were hopeful life would go back to normal. In particular, stranded Brits stuck for an extended stay in Israel said they hoped the airspace would reopen so they could return home, and those who booked indirect flights via Jordan, Egypt and Dubai were hopeful they would not be cancelled.
Despite claims a US-brokered ceasefire has been violated, Israel Airports Authority has said it still preparing for a gradual reopening of its airspace.
Could Trump win a Nobel peace prize?
Is the Nobel peace prize back on?
That’s the accolade President Trump craves and his role in bringing Iran and Israel towards a truce was bringing fresh calls, at least from Republicans, for recognition from the Oslo committee on Monday night.
Trump ordered a high-stakes bombing raid on Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities, hitting the nuclear ambition that four predecessors failed to stop, then, in an audacious display of brinkmanship, apparently helped to engineer a truce deal between Iran and Israel.
• Could Trump win a Nobel peace prize? How he brokered ceasefire
Fear in Tehran as residents brace for bombs
An anti-Israeli billboard in Tehran on Tuesday MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA/REUTERS
Residents in Iran’s capital are fleeing for shelter, witnesses have told The Times, over fears of imminent Israeli strikes.
Hussain, a 43-year-old businessman from Tehran, said that while Iranians initially welcomed news of a US-brokered truce they could immediately “sense that a new threat is on the horizon”.
He said there are fears on the streets of the Iranian capital that Israel’s military could strike in the next few hours after unverified reports circulated on social media that an evacuation order had been issued for District 7 in northeastern Tehran.
“This situation leaves us vulnerable, as any spark could reignite tensions and potentially lead to war,” added Hussain.
Iranian newspapers report the attack on US base in Qatar MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA/REUTERS
In pictures: Israelis take shelter
Surfers react following air raid sirens in Haifa on Tuesday BAZ RATNER/AP
People at a headphones party in an underground car park in Tel Aviv ITAI RON/REUTERS
Residents in an underground metro station in Haifa on Tuesday BAZ RATNER/AP
Iraqi military reports overnight drone attack
Iraq has said some of its military assets were damaged during a drone attack overnight.
A military spokesperson from Iraq said radar systems were significantly damaged at the joint US-Iraqi Camp Taji and Imam Ali air base.
The spokesperson did not verify from where the missiles were fired, although there were reports overnight that Iran had attacked US airbases in Iraq.
“In a treacherous and cowardly attack, from 0215 to 0345 this morning, Tuesday, 24 June 2025, a group of small, suicide drones targeted several Iraqi military sites and bases,” Iraqi Special Operations Command wrote on X.
“This attack caused significant damage to the radar systems at Taji Camp north of Baghdad and the Imam Ali (peace be upon him) Base in Dhi Qar Governorate, with no human casualties reported.”
The spokesperson said Iraqi forces successfully repelled other attacks on four sites, shooting down the drones.
How did Britain get it so wrong on Trump and Iran?
Sir Keir Starmer said the US was not poised to strike on the regime’s nuclear facilities. The US military strikes have thrown his judgment into question
President Trump’s decision took the prime minister and the wider government by surprise. Starmer and David Lammy, the foreign secretary, had been convinced that there was a “window of opportunity” to attempt to de-escalate the conflict.
They appeared to have taken Trump at his word when the White House suggested on Thursday there would be a pause to ensure that there was a “chance for substantial negotiations”.
• How did Britain get it so wrong on Trump and Iran?
Qatar summons Iranian ambassador after attack
Qatar has summoned the Iranian ambassador in Doha over Tehran’s targeting of a US military base in the Gulf state last night.
The foreign ministry expressed its “strong condemnation” of the attack and repeated that it “retains the right to respond to this egregious violation”, a statement said.
Iran attacks US base in Qatar
Who could succeed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?
With Iran facing perhaps the biggest threat since its founding in 1979, resolving the matter of his succession has never been so urgent, or so intertwined with the regime’s very survival. As such, Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, is said to have accelerated a process that began over a decade ago to name who follows him and ensure continuity.
Who is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader?
The names of the candidates remain a secret, and there have been contradictory reports about whether they include Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, 55, who appeared as a favourite after the death of Ebrahim Raisi, the former president, or Hassan Khomeini, 52, grandson of the father of the Islamic revolution, who is being suggested as an alternative candidate.
• Who could succeed Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?
Iran ‘denies firing missiles at Israel’
Iran has denied firing missiles at Israel, according to Iranian state media.
Israeli media, meanwhile, is reporting that two ballistic missiles were launched by Iran, with the country’s military intercepting both.
Katz warns Israel will hit Iran’s ‘terror infrastructure’
Israel Katz ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/GETTY
The Israeli minister of defence has vowed to strike Iranian “regime assets and terror infrastructure” as he pledged to retaliate to Tehran’s apparent ceasefire violation.
Israel Katz said: “In light of Iran’s blatant violation of the ceasefire declared by the president of the United States through the launch of missiles toward Israel and in accordance with the Israeli government’s policy to respond forcefully to any breach, I have instructed the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] … to continue high-intensity operations targeting regime assets and terror infrastructure in Tehran.”
Eyal Zamir, the IDF chief of staff, said: “In light of the severe violation of the ceasefire carried out by the Iranian regime, we will respond with force.”
Israeli cabinet minister warns ‘Tehran will tremble’
Bezalel Smotrich AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS
Israeli politicians are calling for retaliation on social media after Iran was accused of violating a US-brokered truce, just hours after it said it had agreed to the ceasefire.
“Tehran will tremble,” said Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister and hard-right member of Binyamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet.
Avigdor Lieberman, the former deputy prime minister, said on X that Israel “must not absorb, we must not ignore, we must respond immediately”, adding: “3 and a half hours after the U.S. President announced a ceasefire, [there was] shooting from Iran toward northern Israel.”
Israeli MP Tali Gotliv said any Iranian violation of the ceasefire “will be met with an appropriate response”.
Israel orders retaliation after ‘ceasefire breach’
The minister of defence in Israel has instructed the military to “respond forcefully to Iran’s violation of the ceasefire with high-intensity strikes”.
Israel Katz said the attacks would focus on targets in the heart of the Iranian capital of Tehran.
Residents allowed to leave shelters
Israel’s military has now told residents in the north of the country they are allowed to leave air raid shelters “following a situation assessment”.
There appears to have been no confirmation of a missile launch by Iran.
Israel ‘intercepts Iranian missile’
In what appears to be a breach of the ceasefire, Iran has fired at least one ballistic missile, according to The Times of Israel.
Israel is thought to have intercepted the missile with no immediate reports of any injuries or damage.
Sirens expected in northern Israel
Following the apparent breach of the ceasefire, sirens are expected to sound in northern Israel in the coming minutes, the Times of Israel reports, with ballistic missiles said to have been fired from Iran
Iran ‘launches missiles at Israel’
Missiles have been launched from Iran after a US-brokered ceasefire with Israel began, according to Israel’s military
“A short while ago, the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel,” a statement from the IDF read.
“Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat.
“Upon receiving an alert, the public is instructed to enter a protected space and remain there until further notice.
“Leaving the protected space is only permitted following an explicit directive. Continue to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command.”
Gaza hostage families call for their release
Families of hostages held in Gaza called for an end to the war there and bring back those in Hamas captivity following the ceasefire with Iran.
“The ceasefire agreement must expand to include Gaza; we call on the government to engage in urgent negotiations that will bring home all the hostages and end the war. Those who can achieve a ceasefire with Iran can also end the war in Gaza,” a statement from the hostage family forum, an umbrella group of those seeking a ceasefire, read on Monday morning.
“After 12 days and nights during which the people of Israel couldn’t sleep because of Iran, we can finally go back to not sleeping because of the hostages,” they added.
The 56 Israeli and foreign nationals hostages, 20 of whom are believed to still be alive, have been held in captivity by Hamas and other Gazan militants since October 7, 2023,.
Death toll rises after Iranian missile strike
The death toll from a missile strike that hit residential buildings in southern Israel early this morning has risen to five.
Another 20 people were injured in the strike, according to Israeli authorities.
The attack on the city of Beersheba took place before a ceasefire took hold. It marks the highest death toll from one Iranian missile in the course of the war.
Death toll rises following Iranian missile strike
Watch: evacuees sing on RAF flight to the UK
A video posted on social media has shown a group of evacuees appearing to land in the UK on an RAF evacuation flight from Israel while singing Israel’s national anthem, followed by a rendition of God Save the King.
The video was posted by Max Radford, a British delegate of the World Zionist Congress and co-founder of Ballistra group, a technology business with ties in Israel.
In the Instagram post, Radford thanked the RAF for its “amazing” support.
Sing while you’re flying: evacuees in good voice aboard RAF plane
Oil price drops after Trump announces ceasefire
Oil has fallen sharply after President Trump announced a “complete and total ceasefire” between Israel and Iran.
Brent crude has fallen to $68.76 a barrel, having topped $79 a barrel in recent days on fears that the Iran would close the Strait of Hormuz, through which around a fifth of total global oil supplies and fifth of global exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) pass.
• Business live: Oil price drops after Trump announces ceasefire
Ben Gurion airport to resume full operations
All flights from Israel’s largest airport have been suspended during the conflict ABIR SULTAN/EPA
Ben Gurion airport, Israel’s main international hub, will reportedly resume full operations later this morning.
The number of rescue flights departing from the airport is also expected to increase dramatically in the coming hours, according to Israeli broadcaster Channel 12.
Earlier this morning, it was announced Ben Gurion would allow the first outgoing flights to depart since Israel’s conflict with Iran began on June 13.
Iranian nuclear scientist ‘killed in Israeli strike’
Mohammad Reza Seddiqi Sabir
Iranian nuclear scientist Mohammad Reza Seddiqi Sabir was killed by an Israeli attack early this morning, Iranian media has reported.
The attack took place before a US-brokered truce began, according to Nornews. The Israeli strike was said to have targeted Sabir’s apartment, with his 17-year-old son also being killed.
The US imposed sanctions on the scientist in May, alleging he was involved in the development of nuclear weapons.
Israel has achieved ‘tremendous success’ in Iran conflict
Damage inflicted on Beersheba, Israel, after Iran’s latest missile strikes AMIR COHEN/REUTERS
Israel has claimed to have “removed a dual immediate existential threat” posed by Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, the prime minister’s office said in a series of statements posted on social media.
Writing on X, it said Israel had achieved a “tremendous success”, with Binyamin Netanyahu’s office adding: “The IDF [Israel Defence Forces] has achieved complete air control over Tehran’s skies, inflicted severe damage on the military leadership, and destroyed dozens of central Iranian government targets.
“In the past 24 hours, the IDF has also severely struck government targets in the heart of Tehran, eliminating hundreds of Basij operatives — the terrorist regime’s suppression mechanism — and eliminating another senior nuclear scientist. Israel thanks President Trump and the United States for their support in defence and their participation in eliminating the Iranian nuclear threat.”
People leave an underground car park in Tel Aviv after an air raid alert on Tuesday OHAD ZWIGENBERG/AP
Israel agrees to bilateral ceasefire
Israel has agreed to Trump’s ceasefire proposal with Iran, the Israeli prime minister’s office has confirmed.
Binyamin Netanyahu’s office said it would respond “forcefully” to any violations, adding that he would deliver a statement later today.
“In light of the achievement of the objectives of the operation, and in full co-ordination with President Trump, Israel has agreed to the president’s proposal for a bilateral ceasefire,” a statement read.
• Trump announces Israel-Iran ceasefire after attacks on US bases
Trump expected in Europe for Nato summit
President Trump is expected to fly to the Hague later today for a planned Nato summit.
While the conference had been expected to focus on how alliance members are heeding Trump’s calls to increase defence spending to five per cent of GDP, the conflict in the Middle East will almost certainly loom large.
If a ceasefire appears to hold throughout the day, Trump is likely to take credit for mediating peace between Iran and Israel, arguably his biggest foreign policy achievement yet. However, with Israel yet to confirm the truce, the US leader may be unable to perform his victory lap.
Concerns that Trump would talk down Nato during the summit — and discuss withdrawing US troops from Europe while abandoning support to Ukraine — have eased somewhat. President Zelensky has now been invited to a dinner with Nato leaders after fears Ukraine would be blocked from participating in the conference altogether.
Israeli warplanes strike missile launchers in Iran
In the past few hours, Israeli warplanes struck and destroyed missile launchers in western Iran “ready to be fired at Israeli territory”, the military said in a statement.
It appeared to refer to a strike before the ceasefire — which has now officially come into effect, according to the US president.
Israel has not confirmed the ceasefire.
Four killed in Iranian missile strike
The missile strike that hit residential buildings in Beersheba before the ceasefire took hold has killed four people. It is the highest death toll from one Iranian missile in the course of the war.
Paramedics said that three people— a woman aged about 40, a man about 40 and a man about 20 were pronounced dead at the scene — with another body recovered later.
Dvir Ben Ze’ev, an MDA paramedic at the site in southern Israel, said: “We saw significant destruction to several buildings on the street where the rocket fell. At the entrance to one of the buildings, an unconscious man was lying down, and after further searches, two more casualties — a man and a woman — were found unconscious.”
LEO CORREA/AP
Ceasefire now in effect, says Trump
President Trump has said that his promised ceasefire is now in effect after waves of strikes overnight, which have killed at least four.
“THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!”, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
Three dead in Iran missile attacks, say rescuers
Israeli emergency services said three people were killed and two left wounded in an overnight Iranian missile strike in southern Israel.
Magen David Adom said in a statement on X on Tuesday morning: “Following the missile impact site in southern Israel: So far, MDA teams have pronounced the deaths of three people, two people with moderate injuries have been evacuated to hospital and approximately six people with mild injuries are being treated at the scene.”
Two Iranian ballistic missiles in the sky near Jerusalem UPI/ALAMY LIVE NEWS
‘Fifth missile wave fired at Israel’
Iran’s state media said a fifth wave of missiles was headed towards Israel around the time a ceasefire announced by the United States was due to begin.
“The fifth wave of this morning’s missile attack from Iran is on its way to the occupied territories,” Irib posted on Telegram just before 4am BST.
Israel’s military has said waves of missiles were launched by Iran. Israel’s national ambulance service said three people were killed in Beersheba — the first reported deaths in Israel since Trump announced the ceasefire.
Drones strike two military bases in Iraq
Unidentified drones struck radar systems at two military bases in Iraq early on Tuesday. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
The first attack hit a radar system at the Taji base, north of Baghdad — where US troops were hosted until 2020 — a security source told AFP. A drone also targeted the radar system at the Imam Ali airbase in Dhi Qar province in southern Iraq, the source said
Another drone fell in the Radwaniya district, ten kilometres west of Baghdad international airport, the source added, where US troops are deployed as part of an anti-jihadist coalition.
The attacks caused material damage but no casualties were reported, Lieutenant General Walid al-Tamimi told the official Iraqi News Agency.
Israelis in bomb shelters question Trump’s ceasefire
As the minutes ticked down to 7am Israel time and a possible ceasefire, Israelis in bomb shelters were unsure on the exact timings of the deal announced by President Trump — or whether it would actually happen.
After four consecutive missile barrages that sent residents of Tel Aviv rushing to and from shelters, it was unclear if the salvos were a final blast from Tehran or the start of a new round of escalation.
People take shelter in an underground metro station in Haifa, Israel BAZ RATNER/AP
Reports that three people had been killed by an Iranian missile in Beersheba, a city in southern Israel, raised fears that an Israeli response would trigger more Iranian attacks.
“I’m tired and slightly disillusioned now because I don’t know if this is really the end or not,” said one woman, moments before another all-clear.
Trump hails end to war
President Trump announced a “complete and total ceasefire” between Israel and Iran after 12 days of hostilities, including a symbolic Iranian reprisal strike on a US base in Qatar on Monday.
He posted a message on his Truth Social site hailing an end to the war, as Israel continued its attacks on Iran.
“Congratulations to everyone!” he wrote, “in approximately six hours from now, when Israel and Iran have wound down and completed their in progress, final missions!”
Iran’s foreign minister signals halt to attacks
Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister, signalled early on Tuesday morning that Tehran was prepared to halt its missile attacks at 4am local time (1.30am UK). However, three consecutive air raid warnings sounded in Tel Aviv a few hours later.
“The military operations of our powerful armed forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4am,” Araghchi wrote on social media.
“As of now, there is NO ‘agreement’ on ceasefire or cessation of military operations. However, provided that the Israeli regime stops its illegal aggression against the Iranian people no later than 4am Tehran time, we have no intention to continue our response afterwards,” he added.
In a hotel bomb shelter in Tel Aviv, Australian holidaymakers caught up in Israel’s war with Iran were doubtful that a ceasefire would hold. After taking a group photo, one of the them said that she suspected Iran had no intention of sticking to any deal. “I thought the Iranians might give us the night off after hitting Qatar,” said another as booms were was heard in the city.
Iranian missile hits building in Beersheba
A missile fired from Iran hit a building in Beersheba, a southern desert city in Israel, destroying a building and killing three people.
Initial reports said that people may be buried under the rubble, with others critically injured in the strike at 5.40am local time.
Paramedics at the scene were treating three people in critical condition and those who were wounded. Beersheba has been badly hit in the war, with a missile striking the largest hospital in the area last week.
Another alarm was sounded after dawn as more missiles were fired.
Israelis hunker down in shelters despite ‘ceasefire’
Israelis made their way down to shelters at 5am local time on Tuesday morning, with two consecutive warnings to hunker down.
The Israeli military said they identified a launch from Iran towards Israel and sirens blared in central Israel. Booms were heard overhead in the central city of Tel Aviv.
As news of a potential ceasefire spread, many people spent the minutes underground checking the news and discussing what the day might hold.
When asked if there was going to be a ceasefire, some said that it would only happen if Israel had achieved what they set out to do.
A hotel worker said he wasn’t sure what would happen next and whether or not there was a ceasefire. “Uncle Donald doesn’t know what to think about it,” said Tom Rogers, 65. [Trump] may think he’s qualified to run a war, but he’s got General Korilla who knows what he’s doing. It will be OK.”
Live updates: Trump lashes out at Israel and Iran amid accusations of ceasefire violations
Vice President JD Vance spoke tonight at the Ohio Republican Party dinner. He outlined a foreign policy doctrine he dubbed “the Trump doctrine.” Vance: “You articulate a clear American interest, and that’s in this case that Iran can’t
“What I call the Trump doctrine is quite simple. No. 1, you articulate a clear American interest, and that’s in this case that Iran can’t have a nuclear weapon. No. 2, you try to aggressively diplomatically solve that problem. And No. 3, when you can’t solve it diplomatically, you use overwhelming military power to solve it, and then you get the hell out of there before it ever becomes a protracted conflict,” Vance said.
Earlier today, Vance said on X that the so-called doctrine “will change the country (and the world) for the better.”
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